Is Apple making Siri-ous improvements to help the iWatch?

Siri could play nicer with third-party apps

Apple may be hard at work getting Siri to play nicer with third party apps, in part to prepare for the iWatch launch.

Tech site The Information claims in a story about apps and mobile search that Apple wants to enable Siri to do things like book reservations and send texts through third-party apps without requiring Apple to work directly with apps' developers.

Currently, Siri can interface with apps like OpenTable and Wolfram Alpha, but Cupertino had to work directly with the services' devs to set up the functionality.

The improvements will make integrating non-Apple apps with Siri easier and faster, potentially paving the way for the iWatch and its accompanying app ecosystem.

What about Google?

Further evidence that Siri development is taking a turn toward an Apple smartwatch can be found in a feature that would allow the virtual personal assistant to bring specific apps to the forefront contextually.

For example, Siri could hypothetically open Nike+ or RunKeeper if you start jogging, maximizing the efficiency of a small-screened device like the iWatch while requiring minimal direct interaction from users.

Google is said to be working on beefing up Google Now's interactions with third-party apps by creating an index of apps' capabilities that the service could refer back to automatically. So if you want to send a message, Google Now would know which applications can have the ability to do just that.

It seems there's a bit of an arms race (or wrist race) to improve the overall user experience. While our devices may become frighteningly smart, they may also become increasingly more useful.